Monument to Michelle Obama ancestor toppled in Georgia

June 10, 2013: People stand near the location of a knocked-over monument dedicated to Melvinia Shields, the great-great-great grandmother of first lady Michelle Obama.
(AP)

REX, Ga. – Police in Georgia are investigating after a monument dedicated to one of first lady Michelle Obama's relatives was knocked over in suburban Atlanta.

Clayton County Commissioner Sonna Singleton tells WSB-TV that a stone monument to Michelle Obama's great-great-great-grandmother, Melvinia Shields, was pushed over and will need to be inspected for cracks. The report was aired Monday.

Officials say Shields was born into slavery in the mid-1800s and later settled in Rex, Ga., -- about 15 miles southeast of downtown Atlanta.

Officials say the monument was installed about a year ago, and the county commission organized a celebration later this month to recognize Shields' connection to the White House.